Ticket dispenser device

ABSTRACT

A ticket dispenser having a six-sided drum with a dial for rotating the drum. The drum is surrounded by an arcuate guide and a length of tickets is fed therebetween. The rotating action of the drum feeds the tickets around the drum, with the corners of the drum folding the tickets at the perforation lines for easier separation. A channel receives the tickets after passing about the drum and the dial has a spring return so that after dialing the return action of the dial actuates a movable channel portion for partially severing the tickets. The dispenser also has a mechanism to prevent the drum from overtraveling while feeding the tickets.

United @t tes lk teht inventor Vern 1K. Mason 25412 Mover Drive, GrandForks, N. Deli. 5820]! Appl. No. 9,2432

Filed Feb. 6, i970 Patented Dee. M, 119711 THCMIE'H lDllSlPlENSlElkDEWCEE 3 Claims, 13 Drawing ll lgs.

m1 me 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 989,647 4/1911 Sanneman83/423 X Primary Examiner.lames M. Meister Attorney- Robert E. KleveABSTRACT: A ticket dispenser having a six-sided drum with a dial forrotating the drum. The drum is surrounded by an arcuate guide and alength of tickets is fed therebetween. The rotating action of the drumfeeds the tickets around the drum, with the corners of the drum foldingthe tickets at the perforation lines for easier separation. A channelreceives the tickets after passing about the drum and the dial has aspring return so that after dialing the return action of the dialactuates a movable channel portion for partially severing the tickets.The dispenser also has a mechanism to prevent the drum fromovertraveling while feeding the tickets.

PATENTEUUEBMIHTI 3 273 1 SHEET 1m 3 INVENTOR Vern K. Mason ATTORNEYINVENTOR \lewn K. Mason wi |L ||1 Ill. IPIP IKI I I .IIL

SHEET 2 [IF 3 WWW m w a ATTORNEY WWW Wm WM 3,621,183

SHEET 3 OF 3 J u 5 I "H.

INVENTOR Vern K. Mason BY Rmmm ATTORNEY TlClltlET DISPENSER DEVTCE Theinvention relates to ticket dispensers. More particularly, the inventionrelates to my copending patent application, Ser. No. 741,046, filed.lune 28, I968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,616, and entitled TicketDispenser.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel drum beneath a dialmechanism and actuated by the dial mechanism, which acts to feed aselected number of tickets and wherein the drum has flat sides forfolding the tickets along their perforation lines for easier separation.

it is a further object of the invention to provide a novel drum withflat sides which fold the tickets along the perforated lines for easierseparation and which drum is actuated by a dual mechanism.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel ticketdispenser with a flat-sided drum and a dual mechanism which folds aselected number of tickets along their perforated lines and feeds themto a mechanism for partially separating the tickets.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel improvementin a ticket dispenser mechanism which partially severs the last of aselected number of tickets from the remainder of the roll of tickets.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the drawingswherein:

FllG. l is a top plan view of the improved portable ticket dispenserinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the one of the improved ticketdispensers.

FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of the improved ticket dispenserinvention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 3.

H6. 4 is a left side elevational view of the improved ticket dispenserinvention taken along line 44 of lFlG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary showing of the tickets similar to FlG. 4 showingthe tickets partially severed along their perforated lines by theserving plate.

FlG. 5A is a top plan view taken along line 5A-5A of FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 is fragmentary showing of the drum and guideway and channelconstruction and ticket location of the improved ticket dispenserinvention.

Fit]. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Fit}. 6 withthe tickets removed.

FllG. ii is a top plan view of the portable dispenser invention with thetop panels and their hinges removed.

H6. 5' is a view of the housing for the ticket dispenser taken alongline El9 of HG. ll.

FlG. llll is a front elevational view of the portable ticket dispenser.

FlG. it is a side elevational view of the ticket dispenser inventiontaken along line llll-ll of HG. ll.

FlG. H2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ll2-ll2 of FIG. )1.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a portable ticket dispenserdevice having a housing with a pair of dial-operated ticket dispensermounted therein. Each ticket dispenser has a dial with a six-sided drummounted coaxially beneath the dial, guideway means surround the drum toguide the tickets about the drum with corners of the flat sides of thedrum acting to fold the tickets along the perforation lines for easierseparation and channel means are mounted adjacent the drum and to guidethe tickets awayfrom the drum after and selected number of tickets havebeen dialed by the dial around the drain, a pivotally mounted channelmember actuated by the dial partially severs the last of the selectednumber of tickets along the perforation lines from the remainder of theroll of tickets. A latch mechanism is provided to prevent overriding ofthe drum when dialing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in FIG. l, the improvedportable ticket dispenser invention is illustrated as having boxlikehousing 21 (see FIGS. ll, 8, fl, and ill) with a rectangular baseplatform 22. The housing has a pair of side panels 24 and 25. front andrear panels 26 and 27, and a top panel 28 all integrally connected toone another. The housing 21 is pivotally mounted to the platform 22 by adual pair of hinges 29 and 30 at the rear and the housing 2!; is lockedto the front of the platform by a conventional lock 31.

The top panel 28 has a pair of compartments 32 and 33 mounted therein.

The compartments 32 and 33 have a rectangular dishes 35 and 36 recessedtherein and fixed to the top panel 25. A pair of plates 37 and 35 act ascovers for the dish or receptacle portion of the compartments and arepivotally mounted to the top panel by dual pair of hinges 39 and 40,respectively.

Downwardly extending pins 4i and 42 are fixed to the underside of thepanels 37 and 3%, respectively. Pin 4i has a bore therethrough forslidably receiving "the rod 43, to lock the panel 37 closed asillustrated in FIGS. l and ill. A collar 44 is fixed to the side 35 ofthe dish 35 and slidably receives and holds the rod 43. The rear end ofthe rod 43 passes through a bore inside of the dish 36 with an eyelet43' is formed in the rear end of the rod 43. The eyelet being within thedish 36, the rod 43 cannot be operated unless plate 35 is open.

The plate 35 is held closed by a lever 45 pivotally mounted to the panelinside of the front panel 26 by a pin 46. The lever is spring loadedclockwise by a coil spring 46" so that the book 45 at its upper end ofthe lever engages into a notch 42' in the pin 42, to lock the plate 35closed. The lever 45 being on the inside of the panel 26 cannot bepivoted counterclockwise or operated unless the housing has beenunlocked at lock 31 and the housing pivoted open about hinges 29 and 30,so that the operator can reach under the panel 26 to operate the lever45.

Once the panel 38 has been opened, the panel 37 can be also opened bypulling the eyelet 43 of the rod 43 to move nose 43 of the rod from thebore of the pin 411. The top panel 25 has a pair of holes 46 and 47 forthe pins 41 and 42 to pass through the top panel so that they may beengaged by rod 43, and lever 45, respectively.

The compartments 32 and 33 serve as cash boxes and thereby cannot beopened unless the lock M, has first been unlocked or opened. A handle3ll' is mounted to the front panel 26.

TICKET DISPENSERS Within the housing and mounted to the bottom platform22 beneath compartment 33 are a pair of ticket dispensers 49 and 50.Each ticket dispenser 49 and 50 has an identical construction with anenlarged top plan view of ticket dispenser 49 being illustrated in FIG.2.

The ticket dispenser 49 has a roll of tickets 5i which are rotatablymounted to the platform 22. The outer end 5i of the ticket 511 extendsaround a pin 53 also fixed to the bottom platform 22 and around a roller54 which roller is rotatably mounted on a pin 54' which pin 54' is fixedon the platform 55 of dispenser 49. From roller 54 the outer end 511extends around roller 56 which roller is also rotatably mounted to a pin56' which pin is fixed to platform 55 and from roller 56 around pin 56and in-between the drum 57 and arcuate guideway portion 79, asillustrated in FIG. 2, where it is dialed and dispensed as laterdescribed. The ticket roll 52 is also rotatably mounted to the platform22 and has its outer end 52' which passes around pin 53' and aroundroller 54 of the dispenser 50 where it is fed into the dispenser 50 inthe same manner or dispenser 49.

The ticket dispenser 49, as illustrated generally in FlG. l and indetail in FIG. 2, has a platform 55 with a center shaft 59 fixed to theplatform 55. The six-sided drum 57 is rotatably mounted to shaft 59. Adial 60 is also rotatably mounted to the shaft 59 coaxially above thedrum 57. The dial 60 has five (5) annular recesses 611. 62, 63, 64, and65 disposed at intervals about the circumference of the dial 60 andnumbered ll-5, as indicated in FIG. 2.

The drum 57 has an upper and lower annular flanges 67 and 68. The upperannular flange 66 has six V-shaped notches 69-74, inclusive, disposed ateven intervals about the circumference of the flange 67. The flange orplate 67 also has six upwardly projecting flanges 75 disposed at evenintervals about the circumference of the flange 66. The drum 57 has sixwallplates 76 which have their ends abutting one another to fonn asix-sided drum and with each plate 76 corresponding in length to oneticket.

A coil spring 77 surrounds the shaft 59 and with one end 77' fixed tothe underside of the dial 60 and the other end 77" fixed to the topplate 67.

A channel member 78 has a cylindrically curved arcuate guideway portion79 which extends around the drum 57. The curved portion 79 has a concavecross section from area 80 to area 81. The outer end 81 of the curvedportion 79 gradually flattens out from its concave shape to a form theflat end portion 81' and is riveted to upright portion 82' of flangemember 82.

The lower end of flange member 82 has a lateral leg 82" which is fixedto the platfonn 55.

At the other end of the curved portion 79 of member 78 has upper andlower edges 84 and 85 which gradually widens and folds about in areverse direction to form the C-conformation of channel portion 86.

The drum plates 76 each has a U-shaped recess 87 at their opposite ends.A second shorter guideway 88 has a circular plate portion 89 whichextends partially around the drum 57 which has a short radius so as torecess into the recesses 87 of the drum. The plate portion 89 at itsother end 90 extends into the channel 86 and then bends out of thechannel 86 at 89 and has a downwardly extending plate portion 90 whichextends downwardly to the platfonn 55, which a lateral leg portion 90"which is formed integrally with leg portion 90 and is also fixed to theplatform by rivets.

The guideway 88 acts to guide the tickets, after having traveled aboutthe drum, into the channel 86' ofchannel 86.

The channel portion 86, which forms generally the C- shaped conformationfor receiving the tickets and it extends horizontally away from the dialand drum toward a pivotally mounted severing plate 92.

The severing plate 92 has a U-shaped conformation and is pivotallymounted to a projecting post 93 by a pin 94. The post 93 is fixed to thetop outer edge channel 86.

The severing plate 92 has a U-shaped cross section with the apex 95 atthe bottom and the legs for side panels 96 and 97. The side plates 96and 97 each has projecting extensions and the pin 94 passes through thepost 93 so that the severing plate 92 may pivot about the pin 94.

The severing plate 92 is operated by an actuating mechanism 98. Theactuating mechanism 98 has a plate 99 which plate 99 is pivotallymounted to an upright wall 100 which wall 100 is fixed to the platform55.

The dial 60 has a downwardly turned annular flange 101 with a furtherdownwardly projecting flange portion 101'. A cylindrical rod 102 isfixed to the flange 101' and projects outwardly therefrom.

A coil spring 103 has one end attached to pin 104 which pin is attachedto plate 99 and the other end is attached to a recessed portion 105 ofplatform 55.

A rod 106 has one end 106' pivotally connected to the severing plate andthe other end 106" pivotally connected to the plate 99.

A finger stop mechanism 107 is provided adjacent the drum 57. The fingerstop mechanism has an S-shaped support plate 108 with a lateral leg 109fixed to the platform 55 vertical leg 110 extends upward and ahorizontal leg 111 and vertical 112, and a horizontal leg portion 113connected integrally in succession to form the generally S-shapedconformation.

A finger actuation plate 114has an upper horizontal plate portion 115which forms a hook, and vertical plate portion 116 and a horizontalplate portion 117, vertical plate portion 118, and a horizontal plateportion 119 and a lowermost vertical plate part 120 connected integrallyin succession to one another.

The finger actuation plate 114 is pivotally mounted to the support plate108 by a pin 114' which passes through portion 111 and 113 of thesupport plate and portions 117 and 119 of the finger plate. A pin 119fixed to plate 113 limits the clockwise pivotal movement of theactuation plate 114. A V-shaped projecting leg portion 120' extendingoutwardly from plate portion 120 engages in any one of the notches 69-74to limit the counterclockwise movement of the plate 114. The plate 114is normally held in its position shown in phantom lines 129 by a coilspring 122. One end 122' of the coil spring being attached to plateportion 119 of plate 114, and the other end 122" being attached to a pin123 which pin is fixed to portion 111 of the support plate.

DIALING AND DISPENSING OPERATION The end 51' of the ticket roll 51 willbe first fed around pin 53 and roller 54, roller 56 and 57 and aroundthe drum 57 between the guideway portion 79 and the drum and between theguideway 79 and 88 and into the channel 86 until the front edge of thefront most ticket aligns generally even with the front edge 86" of thechannel member 86 in a similar manner as described in my earliercopending application. The tickets when installed will have theirperforated edges 51" aligned with the comers 125 of the drum plates 76and the length of the channel member 86 will be such that when theperforated edges 51" are aligned with the corners 125 the forward edgeof the forewardmost ticket will align generally even with the forwardedge 86" of the channel member.

Also the dialing operation will rotate the drum 57 one-sixth ofa turnfor each number dialed in the same manner as in my earlier copendingpatent application.

The dial 60 will move further than one-sixth of a turn for the firstnumber since the pivotally mounted plate 126 which has its upper endpivotally mounted to flanges 127 depending from the dial 60, by a pin128, is positioned between the upwardly projecting flanges 75 beforedialing and has to travel to the first upright flange 75 before theplate 126 can engage the first flange 75 to rotate the drum. The dialwill turn the drum exactly one-sixth of a turn for each number althoughthe dial rotates further than one-sixth of a turn for the first number,which operation is similar to my earlier device.

Assuming, for example, the operator wished to dial and dispense fourtickets and that the ticket roll 51 has been installed with theforewardmost edge of the forewardmost ticket in alignment with theforward edge 86" of the channel. The operator will place his finger inthe recess No. 4 of the dial and rotate the dial clockwise, when viewedfrom FIG. 2, from its position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. Thisinitial rotation will immediately pivot the plate 99 from its positionshown in solid lines in FIG. 4 to its position shown in dashed lines inFIG. 4 and designated by numeral 138 which pulls the rod 106 and therebypivots the severing plate from its position shown in solid lines inFIGS. 3 and 4 to its position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 anddesignated by number 139. This changing of the position of the severingplate to its position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 occurs before thelower end 126' of the pivoting plate 126 reaches its engagement with thefirst one of the projecting flanges 75.

Since the plate 126 cannot pivot relative to the flange 75 when the dialis rotating clockwise it will engage first flange 75 and begin rotatingthe drum. The dial will be rotated until the recess 64 reaches alignmentwith the finger stop and the operation finger engages the finger plateand pivots it counterclockwise when viewed from FIG. 2 which moves thelower end of the plate 114 from its position shown in phantom lines anddesignated by numeral 129 to its position shown in dashed lines anddesignated by numeral 130, which engages the V-shaped end 120 into notch73 and locks the drum at exactly 4/6th of a complete turn and therebyprevents any overtraveling of the drum.

The rotation of the drum causes the ticket to feed around the drum andout the channel so as to dispense four tickets out the end of thechannel member 86, in a manner similar to my earlier device.

In my earlier device pegs were used to keep the tickets from slippingrelative to the drum, however, the frictional engagement of the comers125 of the drum is sufficient to prevent the ticket from slipping andthereby causing them to travel with the drum and to feed them along thepath indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6.

Once the operator removes his finger from the recess 64, the coil spring77 immediately causes the dial to rotate back counterclockwise whenviewed from FIG. 2 to its original position shown in solid lines in FIG.2.

As the dial 6t) approaches its original position the pin 102 will travelback into the slot 131 and engages leg H32 and the action of the spring77 will be strong enough to pivot the plate 99 back to its originalposition shown in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 4 and thereby return thedial 60 to its original position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4.

The drum 57 before and after dialing will always have been movedone-sixth of an arc or multiples thereof, with the finger stop mechanismpreventing over traveling of the drum.

The pivoting of the plate 99 back to its original position pushes therod 106 from right to left when viewed from FIG. 4, which thereby pivotsthe severing plate 90 upward from its position shown in dashed lines inFIG. 3 to its position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, which actioncauses the apex 95 of the severing plate to engage the underside 133 ofthe last ticket R34 of the four tickets dispensed out of the severingplate by the -dialing and the engagement of the apex 95 with the lastticket 134 pivots the ticket upward, while the previous ticket I35 isheld generally stationary in the channel 86 from pivoting. The upwardmovement causes the ticket 134 to tear upward along the perforated lineI36 between it and ticket 135 for part of the height of the ticket so asto leave an upper portion such as illustrated in FIG. 5 from area 1136'to 137 still unsevered.

This action of the severing plate only partially severs the last of thefour tickets from the roll so that they will not fall to the ground,makes it easier for the person receiving the four tickets to physicallygrasp them. The person grasping the four tickets will then pull themaway which completes the severing of the four tickets from the rest ofthe roll.

The coil spring I03 as it is moved by the plate 99 for the partialsevering tends to create a snap action movement of the severing plate92. The coil spring as it passes the pivotal axis of plate 99, whenplate 99 moves clockwise when viewed from FIG. 4, this snap actioncreates an easier partial severing of the tickets by a more rapidtearing or severing movement.

Thus, it will be seen that a novel improved ticket dispenser has beenprovided.

The flat sides of the drum 57 causes a folding of the tickets alongtheir perforations lines as the drum rotates and feeds the ticketsaround during the dialing which makes the tickets easier to be partiallysevered or separated by severing plate 92.

The housing along the rear panel 27 has a pair of rectangular slots forthe severing plate 92 of the dispensers 49 and 50 to dispense ticketstherethrough.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made tothe invention without departing from the spirit and thereof, andaccordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited to thatspecifically described in the specification or as illustrated in thedrawings but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein:

What is claimed is:

ll. A ticket dispenser for dispensing a length of tickets havingperforations therebetween, comprising a six-sided drum, a dial forrotating the drum and dispensing a selected number of tickets, anarcuate guide surrounding the drum, channel means extending away fromthe drum, said drum acting to feed tickets around the drum with thecorners of the sides of the drum acting to fold the tickets along theirperforation lines, a movable channel at the outer end of the channelmeans for partially severing the last of the selected tickets dispensed.

2. A ticket dispenser according to claim I wherein a finger actuatedmeans are provided acting to prevent the drum from overriding in itsrotation.

3. A ticket dispenser according to claim 2 wherein said movable channelmeans has spring return plate means actuated by said dial which in turnactuated said movable channel means.

1. A ticket dispenser for dispensing a length of tickets havingperforations therebetween, comprising a six-sided drum, a dial forrotating the drum and dispensing a selected number of tickets, anarcuate guide surrounding the drum, channel means extending away fromthe drum, said drum acting to feed tickets around the drum with thecorners of the sides of the drum acting to fold the tickets along theirperforation lines, a movable channel at the outer end of the channelmeans for partially severing the last of the selected tickets dispensed.2. A ticket dispenser according to claim 1 wherein a finger actuatedmeans are provided acting to prevent the drum from overriding in itsrotation.
 3. A ticket dispenser according to claim 2 wherein saidmovable channel means has spring return plate means actuated by saiddial which in turn actuated said movable channel means.